ISERROR Function (LibreOffice Calc)
The ISERROR function in LibreOffice Calc checks whether a value results in any error. It is essential for error handling, data validation, and building resilient formulas.
Compatibility
▾| Excel | ✔ |
| Gnumeric | ✔ |
| Google_sheets | ✔ |
| Libreoffice | ✔ |
| Numbers | ✔ |
| Onlyoffice | ✔ |
| Openoffice | ✔ |
| Wps | ✔ |
| Zoho | ✔ |
What the ISERROR Function Does ▾
- Returns TRUE for any error
- Returns FALSE for valid numbers, text, logical values, or blanks
- Useful for wrapping risky formulas
- Works with literals, formulas, and references
It is designed to be broad, safe, and reliable.
Syntax ▾
ISERROR(value)
Arguments
- value:
Any value, expression, or cell reference.
Basic Examples ▾
Check if A1 contains an error
=ISERROR(A1)
Use with IF to handle errors
=IF(ISERROR(A1); "Error"; A1)
Check a division that may fail
=ISERROR(A1 / B1)
TRUE if B1 = 0.
Check a literal error
=ISERROR(#N/A)
Returns TRUE.
Advanced Examples ▾
Wrap a VLOOKUP to prevent #N/A
=IF(ISERROR(VLOOKUP(A1; B1:C10; 2; 0)); "Not found"; VLOOKUP(A1; B1:C10; 2; 0))
Detect invalid references
=ISERROR(INDIRECT(A1))
TRUE if A1 contains an invalid reference.
Validate numeric conversion
=ISERROR(VALUE(A1))
TRUE if A1 contains non-numeric text.
Detect errors in array formulas
=ISERROR(SUM(A1:A10 / B1:B10))
TRUE if any B cell is zero.
Check for errors before performing calculations
=IF(ISERROR(A1); ""; A1 * 2)
Detect errors in imported data
=ISERROR(A1)
Useful when external sources contain invalid values.
Combine with IFERROR for cleaner logic
=IFERROR(A1 / B1; "Invalid")
Equivalent to wrapping ISERROR manually.
Edge Cases and Behavior Details ▾
ISERROR catches all error types
- #N/A
- #REF!
- #VALUE!
- #DIV/0!
- #NAME?
- #NUM!
- #NULL!
ISERROR does NOT catch non-error values
=ISERROR("text") → FALSE
=ISERROR(0) → FALSE
=ISERROR("") → FALSE
ISERROR vs ISERR
- ISERROR catches all errors
- ISERR catches all errors except #N/A
ISERROR on a blank cell
=ISERROR(A1)
Returns FALSE.
ISERROR on a formula returning ""
=ISERROR("")
Returns FALSE.
Common Errors and Fixes ▾
ISERROR returns TRUE unexpectedly
Cause:
- Formula returns #N/A
- Formula returns #REF!
- Division by zero
- Invalid reference in INDIRECT
- Text passed to VALUE
Fix:
Wrap the risky expression in IFERROR or validate inputs.
ISERROR returns FALSE unexpectedly
Cause:
- Value is text, not an error
- Value is blank
- Value is a number
- Formula returns ""
ISERROR used on a range
=ISERROR(A1:A10)
Returns a single TRUE/FALSE in array context; use SUMPRODUCT to scan ranges.
Best Practices ▾
- Use ISERROR to detect any error type
- Use IFERROR for cleaner error-handling logic
- Use ISERR when you want to treat #N/A differently
- Validate inputs before performing risky operations
- Use ISERROR with INDIRECT, VLOOKUP, VALUE, and division
ISERROR is your safety net — it prevents cascading failures and lets you gracefully handle any error condition.
Related Patterns and Alternatives ▾
- Use IFERROR for simplified error handling
- Use ISERR to exclude #N/A
- Use ISNA to detect #N/A specifically
- Use TYPE to inspect value types
- Use IF to build custom error logic
By mastering ISERROR and its companion functions, you can build resilient, error‑tolerant spreadsheets in LibreOffice Calc.